Solid Waste

Responsibilities

California State law requires counties to provide for solid waste services as part of an integrated waste management plan which includes waste reduction and recycling as well as safe disposal of non-recyclable waste.

The Department contracts for waste collection through exclusive franchise agreements as authorized by the California Public Resources Code § 49200-49205.

State law also requires the County to continue monitoring its closed landfills, and to ensure the existence of a minimum of fifteen years of remaining capacity for waste disposal – Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA).

The County is a member of the HWMA’s Joint Powers Authority which performs the requirement.

Expenditures for this division are paid for primarily through Solid Waste Franchise fees and fees collected by the HWMA and passed through to the County.

The private companies perform solid waste and recycling collection services in the unincorporated areas of the County. The Solid Waste budget unit also provides for continued maintenance and testing of the closed Table Bluff Landfill, as well as maintenance of the Redway Transfer Station facilities. Net revenues are transferred to a trust fund to support future road and bridge repair and maintenance at the Redway Transfer Station as required by the 20-year Ground Lease Agreement with the State of California which terminates on March 31, 2030.

Solid Waste provides for management of the Table Bluff Closed Landfill located near Loleta. The site was used for waste disposal starting in the 1930s and was formally closed in 1979. The site is equipped with a leachate collection and treatment system, and is regulated by state agencies and the County Environmental Health Division. The Table Bluff closed landfill is subject to operation and maintenance requirements in perpetuity.